Chicagoland this week.

Courts

Ghost Payroll Suspect To Return

November 19, 1995

Hyman Tucker had a comfortable existence in sunny Florida. A retired former Chicagoan, he lived in a condominium development outside Ft. Lauderdale free of financial worries. Every two weeks a check arrived from Chicago, and he enjoyed full medical coverage from the City of Chicago. But these were not pension benefits resulting from years of work. In fact, he was still on the payroll of the City Council's Traffic Committee, even though he was living in Lauderhill, Fla., according to federal charges filed this month in Chicago.

Before retiring to Florida, Tucker had been a longtime precinct captain for retired Ald. Anthony Laurino (39th), who ran the Traffic Committee for years. This week, Tucker will make his initial court appearance here in the case. He collected more than $100,000 in pay and health benefits from August 1988 to April 1992, without ever leaving his Florida condo, authorities charged.

Tucker is expected to plead guilty to the ghost-payrolling charges Wednesday in Judge George Marovich's courtroom in the Dirksen Federal Building.